徙薪曲突 — “Move firewood and curve the chimney”
徙薪曲突 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take precautions and preventative measures to avert potential dangers or problems; to nip trouble in the bud by addressing its root causes beforehand”. Literally, “Move firewood and curve the chimney”.
徙薪曲突 Pronunciation and Pinyin
徙薪曲突 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 徙薪曲突
Origin and Story of 徙薪曲突
Once upon a time, a man visited his friend's house and noticed that the chimney was straight, standing right in front of the stove, with a pile of dry firewood nearby. He suggested to his host that they should make the chimney curved and move the dry firewood away. The host, however, did not heed his advice.
Not long after, a fire indeed broke out, but fortunately, the neighbors promptly helped to put it out.
The host slaughtered an ox to thank these neighbors. The neighbors then said that the person who truly deserved to be thanked was the one who had offered the advice earlier.
Idioms Related to 徙薪曲突
Synonyms of 徙薪曲突
Antonyms of 徙薪曲突
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Open the tool →Questions about 徙薪曲突
What does 徙薪曲突 mean?
徙薪曲突 (xǐ xīn qū tū) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take precautions and preventative measures to avert potential dangers or problems; to nip trouble in the bud by addressing its root causes beforehand”.
How do you pronounce 徙薪曲突?
徙薪曲突 is pronounced xǐ xīn qū tū in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 徙薪曲突 literally mean?
Literally, 徙薪曲突 means “Move firewood and curve the chimney”. It is used to mean “to take precautions and preventative measures to avert potential dangers or problems; to nip trouble in the bud by addressing its root causes beforehand”.
Where does 徙薪曲突 come from?
徙薪曲突 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 徙薪曲突?
搬开灶旁柴禾，将直的烟囱改成弯的。本指预防火灾。后亦比喻先采取措施，防患于未然。